Comparative adjectives are used to compare two or more objects with each other: objects, people, animals, etc. Bigger, smaller, prettier, faster, cheaper, better, smarter, braver, smarter, more daring- these are all comparative degrees of adjectives in Russian.

IN English adjectives also have a comparative degree ( comparative adjectives or just comparative): bigger, less, more beautiful, faster, cheaper, better, cleverer, braver, more intelligent, more daring

The rules for the formation of comparative adjectives are very easy to understand, and to develop fluency you need experience, you need to repeat them more often, and it is better to repeat phrases, phrases or whole sentences. How to remember better, you can read in the article.

In this article we will give many examples of the formation and use of the comparative degree of adjectives in English.

Comparative adjectives. Rules of education. Examples.

Look at the table:

1. Examples for comparative adjectives formed from monosyllabic ones:

This coffee is very weak. I like it a bit stronger. (This coffee is very weak. I like it a little stronger)
Going by bus is cheaper than by train. (Travel by bus is cheaper than by train)
The weather is very cold today. I expected it to be warmer(The weather is cold today. I expected it to be warmer)
The water is colder today than it was two days ago. (The water is colder today than two days ago)
Mike studies harder than his brother. (Mike studies harder than his brother)
This building is higher than that one. (This building is taller than that)
My daughter is thinner than her. (My daughter is thinner than her)
My sister is older than me. (My sister is older than me)
Can we walk a bit faster? (Can we go a little faster?)

Pay attention to the following subtleties:
1. After the comparative degree of adjectives, a conjunction is often used than(than), emphasizing the object for comparison.
2. If a one-syllable adjective ends in -e, then to a comparative extent only -r: large - larger, late - later, wide - wider.
3. If a one-syllable adjective ends one vowel + one consonant, then the comparative degree duplicates the consonant: big - bigger, wet - wetter, thin - thinner

2. Examples of comparative adjectives formed from two-syllable adjectives ending in -y:

Yesterday I woke up earlier than usual (Yesterday I woke up earlier than usual)
You look happier today (You look happier today)
My bag seemed to get heavier as I carried it (My bag seemed heavier when I carried it)
We were busier at work today than usual (We were busier at work today than usual)

3. Examples of the comparative degree of adjectives formed from two-syllable and more adjectives

I think Hungarian is more difficult than Spanish. (I think Hungarian is harder than Spanish)
For lanuage learners, enthusiasm is more important than talent. (For language learners, enthusiasm is more important than talent)
I expected the hotel to be more expensive. (I expected the hotel to be more expensive)
I'd like to do something more interesting(I'd like to do something more interesting)
Why don't you phone me more often? (Why don't you call me more often?)
I'd like to have a more reliable car (I would like to have a more reliable car)
Unfortunately his illness was more serious than we thought at first. (Unfortunately, his illness was more serious than we first thought)

4. Exceptions.

Some words do not follow general rules and form their comparative adjectives in a special way. They are called incorrect - IRREGULAR:

A holiday by the sea is better than a holiday in the mountains. (A holiday by the sea is better than a holiday in the mountains)
The warmer the weather the better I feel. (The warmer the weather, the better I feel)
I can't walk any further. (I can't go any further)
The traffic is worse than usual today. (Traffic is worse than usual today)
The weather got worse and worse. (the weather is getting worse and worse)
His English is becoming better from day to day. (His English is getting better day by day)

Adjective [ˈadʒɪktɪv] or adjective in English is a part of speech that denotes a characteristic of an object/person/phenomenon. Perhaps, after the verb and noun, it is the most used of all tenses. According to their meaning, adjectives are divided into relative and qualitative. The latter differ in that they can vary in degree of comparison. Degrees of comparison of adjectives in English are formed according to certain rules, which will be discussed today.

There are three degrees of comparison of adjectives in English. All of them are similar to Russian degrees, and therefore this topic should not be taken seriously. Let's look at each degree separately, examining its features, education and methods of use.

Positive degree [ˈpɒzɪtɪv dɪˈɡriː] or positive degree is the easiest. The English language has simplified your task, and therefore there is no need to obtain this degree. All you have to do is take English adjective in its simple dictionary form and use the word in a sentence. Since when we use an adjective in this form we are not comparing it with anything, the positive degree is often considered separately, outside the topic of comparison. In any case, you need to know about it. Examples of positive degrees:

But for comparison, comparative and superlative degrees are used. There are more nuances in these degrees that need to be examined in more detail.

Comparative degree of adjectives in English

Comparative degree or comparative degree is used to compare the characteristics / attributes of two or more objects and persons. Perhaps such an explanation did not clarify anything for you, but this topic is characteristic of both the English language and the Russian language, so if you compare this form with the Russian comparative degree everything will become much clearer:

We are sure that you no longer have any questions regarding what a comparative degree is. But how do you create this degree in English? For this, two comparative forms are used:

  1. If a word consists of one or two syllables, it has a comparative ending –er:

However, when adding –er, you need to take into account certain nuances:

  • If the adjective ends in –e, this letter is omitted:
  • But the ending –y changes to –i:

Exceptions are words that have a vowel before –y:

  1. If the adjective consists of three syllables or more, the degree is formed by adding the words more (more) and less (less):

Degrees of comparison of adjectives in English - superlative adjectives

Superlative degree or superlative form in English is used to show that some object or person, in comparison with others, is “the very best,” that is, superior to all others. The superlative form is also compared with Russian adjectives in the same degree. For example:

There are also two options for forming this form of the adjective. Each of them is preceded by a definite, since superlative adjectives imply a specific, special object or person:

  1. The ending –est is added to an adjective with one or two syllables:
Positive degree Superlative
large (large) the largest (largest)
great (great) the greatest (greatest)
pretty (handsome) the prettiest (the most beautiful)
dear (dear) the dearest (the most expensive)
funny the funniest (the funniest)
short the shortest (the shortest)
long the longest (longest)

Please note that the rules for appending endings also apply to this form.

  1. If an adjective has 3 or more syllables, then the words (the) most (most) and (the) least (least) are added to it:

Despite the rules, some two-syllable adjectives in comparative and superlative forms, however, can be formed with both –er / –est and more – less / most – least. For example, these include words such as:

Adjective Comparative degree Superlative
-er more/less -est most/least
clever cleverer more (less) clever cleverest the most (least) clever
simple

(simple)

simpler more (less) simple simplest the most (least) simple
stupid stupider more (less) stupid stupidest the most (least) stupid
quiet quieter more (less) quiet quietest the most (least) quiet
common commoner more (less) common commonest the most (least) common
polite

(polite)

politer more (less) polite politest the most (least) polite
narrow narrower more (less) narrow narrowest the most (least) narrow
angry

(angry)

angrier more (less) angry angry the most (least) angry
cruel

(cruel)

crueler more (less) cruel cruelest the most (least) cruel
sour sourer more (less) sour sourest the most (least) sour
gentle gentler more (less) gentle gentlest the most (least) gentle
friendly

(friendly)

friendlier more (less) friendly friendliest the most (least) friendly
pleasant

(nice)

pleasanter more (less) pleasant pleasantest the most (least) pleasant
able

(capable)

abler more (less) able ablest the most (least) able

Preference is now increasingly given to the forms more / less and most / least.

There are also three-syllable exception adjectives that form degrees with –er and –est. These include words that, with the help of prefixes, change the original meaning of a short adjective to the opposite. For example, adjectives: happy (happy) - unhappy (unhappy), tidy (neat) - untidy (untidy), kind (kind) - unkind (unkind), lucky (lucky) - unlucky (unsuccessful), safe (reliable) - unsafe (unreliable):

Positive degree Comparative degree Superlative
unhappy unhappier unhappiest
untidy untidier untidyest
unkind unkinder unkindest
unlucky unluckier unluckiest
unsafe unsafe unsafe

In addition, there are exception words, all 3 forms of which are significantly different from each other and are not subject to standard education, just like English irregular verbs. These words of the English language just need to be remembered. Study them in the table:

Positive degree Comparative degree Superlative
good

(good)

better the best
bad worse the worst
little

(small)

less the least

(least)

many/much more the most

(largest)

far

(distant about the place)

farther

(further)

the farthest

(farthest)

far

(distant about place or time)

further

(further)

the furthest

(farthest)

old

(old about people and things)

older the oldest

(oldest)

old

(eldest in the family)

elder the eldest

(oldest)

late

(late about time)

later

(later)

the latest

(latest)

late

(last in order)

the latter

(second of two)

the last

(last)

near

(close in distance)

nearer

(closer)

the nearest

(nearest)

near

(close in order or time)

nearer

(closer)

the next

(next)

Compound adjectives in English that contain the above exceptions can be constructed in both ways:

The first option, however, is more preferable.

In other cases, compound adjectives use the second method of forming the comparative and superlative degrees:

Using the degree of comparison of adjectives in English

We talked about the rules for forming degrees, all that remains is to understand how to use these adjectives in sentences.

  • When using English comparative adjectives in a sentence, use the conjunction "than" to introduce a comparison. Examples:
Animals are more honest than humans; you can always understand their intentions. Animals are more honest than people. You can always understand their intentions.
Cars are faster than bicycles. Cars are faster than bicycles.
Nothing can be worse than betrayal. Nothing could be worse than betrayal.
It's better to try and fail than to fail to try. It's better to try and fail than not to try at all.
There is no other name than yours in my head. There are no other names in my head except yours.
Elizabeth made it a thousand times better than John but I decided not to hurt him and said nothing. Elizabeth did it a thousand times better than John, but I decided not to upset him and didn’t tell him anything.
The black costume suits you better than the blue one. A black suit suits you better than a blue one.
George won the fight because he was more prepared than his rival. George won the fight because he was more prepared than his opponent.

You can add the adverb rather to the sentence, or rather to the word more. Rather more is usually used for comparison in the sense of “better... rather than...” or “better... than...”:

Sometimes the subject being compared may be omitted if the context implies it, or if the speaker knows that the interlocutor will understand it. Example sentences:

If you want to emphasize that the first person/object is much (much) better, more beautiful, etc., the sentence should contain the word much, which is placed before the degree:

Study the following table with examples:

The comparative degree is also used in three constructions:

  1. The comparative degree, the comparative degree. In simple terms, this construction is similar to the sentences “than..., so...”. Table with examples for clarity:
The more, the better. More the better.
The less you know, the better you sleep. The less you know, the better you sleep.
The older you become, the more responsibilities you should take. The older you get, the more responsibilities you need to take on.
The faster you run, the harder it is to catch. The faster you run, the harder it is to catch you.
The more you procrastinate, the less time you have. The more you procrastinate, the less time you have left.
The more dialects you know, the better you can communicate with people. The more dialects you know, the better you can communicate with people.
The more you work, the more you get, remember this. Remember, the more you work, the more you get.
The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know. The more I know, the more I realize that I know nothing.
  1. More positive degree than positive degree. An analogue is the phrase “rather... than.” This design is possible when we compare the characteristics of the same object/person.
  1. You can also use “more than” in a row without adding words between them. This construction means “more than.” These two words can be followed by an adjective and/or a noun, both of which are acceptable:
  • For superlatives, no additional conjunctions are needed. Such adjectives are used in a sentence as a standard instead of the positive degree:

As in the Russian language, in such sentences the option is not “most”, but “one of the most”:

Two degrees of comparison can fit in one sentence:

Today we looked at the features of degrees of comparison of adjectives in English. Once you remember the rules for their formation, you will be able to use these degrees in speech without any difficulty. In order to consolidate the material, return to the article, review the tables with examples and make up your own sentences. And most importantly, study English with pleasure, because if you are interested in the process, English grammar it will be much faster and easier for you.

Let us remember once again that the adjective ( Adjective) is a word that denotes a characteristic of an object, person or phenomenon. It answers the question “which one?” Let's look at how to form degrees of comparison of adjectives in English.

All adjectives are divided into two groups: qualitative ( qualitative) and relative ( relative). But we can’t compare all of them. For example, “wooden” is a relative adjective, and we cannot say “woodier.” And qualitative adjectives can be represented in the positive (beautiful), comparative (more beautiful) and superlative (most beautiful) degrees of comparison. Now we will talk about each degree in detail.

Comparative degree of adjectives in English. Comparative degree

First, let's briefly talk about the positive degree. A positive degree is simple form adjective: smart, cheerful, soft. You find this form in dictionaries. For example: brave(brave), new(new), cold(cold).

The comparative degree is used when comparing the characteristics of two or more objects or persons. Words such as “faster”, “higher”, “stronger” are comparative adjectives. How to form it?

  1. For short adjectives (consisting of one or two syllables) you need to add an ending -er: cheap(cheap) - cheaper(cheaper), narrow(narrow) - narrower(already), long(long) - longer(longer).
    • -e, then we simply add -r: close(close) – closer(closer).
    • If the adjective ends in -y, That -y changes to -i: lucky(lucky) – luckier(luckier) easy(simple) - easier(simpler).
    • If the adjective ends with a vowel + consonant combination, then the final consonant is doubled: big(big) - bigger(more), hot(hot) - hotter(hot).
  2. The comparative degree of long adjectives (more than 2 syllables) is formed using words more(more) and less(less): expensive(Expensive) - more expensive(more expensive) serious(serious) - less serious(less serious) comfortable(comfortable) - more comfortable(more convenient).

Superlative adjectives in English. Superlative degree

If for the comparative degree you need two objects to compare characteristics, then for the superlative degree you need several objects, among which we will single out one “the best”. To create this degree we do the following:

  1. Add endings to short adjectives -est: thin(thin) - the thinnest(the thinnest), fast(fast) - the fastest(fastest). At the same time, adjectives -e, -y and the consonant letter is subject to the same rules as when forming the comparative degree: the simplest(the simplest), the busiest(busiest).
  2. We use long adjectives with words most(most) and least(least of all): talented(talented) – the most talented(the most talented) interesting(interesting) - the least interesting(least interesting).

When forming this degree, it is necessary to use the article the, as written in the above examples.

Special adjectives

And in English there is a list of adjectives that can be used with suffixes and with words more/most, less/least.

Word Translation
Able Capable
Angry Wicked
Clever Smart
Common General
Cruel Cruel
Friendly Friendly
Gentle Gentle
Handsome Beautiful
Narrow Narrow
Pleasant Nice
Polite Polite
Quiet Quiet
Serious Serious
Simple Simple
Sour Sour

Exceptional adjectives

There are also adjectives whose degrees of comparison are not formed by general rule. These adjectives, as well as their forms, should be known by heart.

  • Goodbetterthe best(good - better - best).
  • Badworsethe worst(bad – worse – worst).
  • Littlelessthe least(small – smaller – smallest).
  • Many/muchmorethe most(many - more - greatest).
  • Oldolderthe oldest(old - older - oldest).
  • Oldelderthe eldest(old – older – the eldest) – about family members.
  • Latelaterthe latest/last(late – more recent – ​​latest/latest in time).
  • Latethe latterthe last(late – the second of the two listed – the last in order).
  • Nearnearerthe nearest(close – closer – closest in distance).
  • Nearnearernext/the next(closer – closer – next in time/next in order).
  • Farfartherthe farthest(distant - more distant - furthest).
  • Farfurtherthe furthest(distant, distant – further – further/additional).

We invite you to study the table with degrees of comparison.

Adjective Degrees of comparison
Positive Comparative Excellent
Short, 1-2 syllables Adjective

cheap
big
happy

+ er

cheaper
bigger
happier

+ est

the cheapest
the biggest
the happiest

Long words of 2 or more syllables Adjective

expensive
serious
beautiful

More/less+ adjective

more/less expensive
more/less serious
more/less beautiful

The most/least+ adjective

the most/least expensive
the most/least serious
the most/least beautiful

(*.pdf, 180 Kb)

These are the basic rules for forming degrees of comparison of adjectives in English. Don't forget to take a test at the end to check how well you remember this material.

Test

Degrees of comparison of adjectives in English

Choose the correct option

Task 1.

Every year The Guinness Book of World Records announces ... person in the world.

Task 2.

I am 1.9 cm...than you are.

Task 3.

This chair is ... than the other one.

Task 4.

Cindy is... girl I have ever met.

Task 5.

Cars are getting ... as the years go by.

Task 6.

Jim's is ... restaurant in our city.

Task 7.

This is the... hangover I ever had. I'm never going to drink again.

Task 8.

For ... information do not hesitate to call our assistant.

Task 9.

Both in Russian and in English, adjectives have three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, superlative.

Positive degree

Comparative degree

Superlative

Short - short

In short, shorter - shorter

The shortest, the shortest - theshortest

Useful - useful

Healthier, more useful moreuseful

Most/most useful – themostuseful

Difficult - difficult

Less difficult - less difficult

Least difficult - the least difficult

Bad - bad

Worse - worse

Worst - the worst

Small - little

Less - less

Smallest – the least

As can be seen from the above examples, the comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives in English are formed in three ways:
1) adding suffixes - er And - est to the basic form (synthetic);
2) through the use of words more/less And most/least before the main form (analytical);
H) by forming degrees of comparison from different roots. Adjectives in the superlative degree of comparison are preceded by the definite article. the.
The rules for choosing a method for forming degrees of comparison are very simple.
Synthetic method(using suffixes - er for comparative degree and - est for superlatives) applies to:

  • all one-syllable adjectives: tall – taller – the tallest; fat – fatter – the fattest. The exceptions are: like – similar – more like – the most like; real - real - more real – the most real;
  • all two-syllable adjectives ending in at : happy – happier – the happiest; funny – funnier – the funniest.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in le , - ow , - er and two-syllable adjectives with stress on the second syllable (except: exact- accurate - only moreexactthemostexact), as well as adjectives common, handsome, pleasant, solid, quiet, wicked, cruel, stupid, tired can form degrees of comparison both synthetically and analytically:

Soft - gentle

More gentle/ gentler

The most gentle/ the gentlest

Empty - hollow

More hollow/hollower

The most hollow/ the hollowest

Smart - clever

More clever/ cleverer

The most clever/ the cleverest

Polite - polite

More polite/polite

The most polite/ the politest

General - common

More common/Withommoner

The most common/ the commonest

For almost all of these words, the analytical method of forming degrees of comparison is preferable.
Adjectives formed with a negative prefix un- from two-syllable adjectives to -at, can also have two forms of degrees of comparison: unhappy - unhappy, unhappy - unhappier/moreunhappy -theunhappiest/themostunhappy.
When forming degrees of comparison using suffixes - er And
-est The following spelling rules are observed:
if the adjective ends in silent - e , then when adding - er and - silent - e omitted: mature – ripe -rippertheripest;
If an adjective ends in a consonant preceded by a short vowel sound, then in the comparative and superlative degrees the final consonant is doubled: bigbiggerthebiggest; hothotterthehottest; thinthinnerthethinnest;
if the adjective ends in - at with a preceding consonant, then in the comparative and superlative degree - at goes into - i -: dirty -dirtier -thedirtiest;busy -busier -thebusiest;easy – easyeasier –theeasiest. If before -at there is a vowel, then - at remains unchanged: cheerful – gaygayerthegayest.
Most two-syllable adjectives, as well as adjectives consisting of three or more syllables, form the comparative degree using the word Thatre- more , and the superlative degree - with the help themost- most. For example: beautiful - beautiful – more beautiful – the most beautiful, frequent – frequent – ​​more frequent – ​​the most frequent.
Analytical method forming degrees of comparison using words less- less and theleast- least applicable to all qualitative adjectives without exception. For example: capable - able – less able – the least able; interesting - interesting – less interesting – the least interesting.
Adjectives good,much,many,late,near,old,far form degrees of comparison from different roots:

Good - good

Better - better

The best, the best - thebest

Bad - bad

Worse - worse

The worst, the worst - theworst

Small - little

Less - less

Smallest – the least

Old - old

Older
older – older

The oldest, oldest - theoldest

Older - elder

The eldest in the family - theeldest

Late - late

Later - later

Latest, last (in time) – thelatest

The last of the two (in order) – the latter

The most recent (in order), the last one is thelast

Close – near

Closer - nearer

The closest, the nearest - thenearest

Next (in order), future – thenext

Far, far away
- far

More distant (about distance) – farther

The farthest (about distance) – thefarthest

More distant, next (in order) – further

The farthest - the furthest

Adjectives far,old,near,late have double degrees of comparison. Forms farther/thefarthest are used to mean distance range:
Weliveinthefarther sideofthe town. - We live on distant end of the city.

Forms further/thefurthest also used in the meanings: further, later; additional. Moreover, the form further, as a rule, corresponds to the meaning “additional, one more”:
Here is a further example.- Here one more example.
Adjective form theeldest- the eldest member of the family - is used only as a modifier of a noun. Form elder- eldest in the family - never used in comparative constructions:
My brother John is three years old older (than I am).- My brother John for three years older(than me). which talk not about seniority, but about the age of family members. In such cases, the forms are used older/theoldest.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence – The grass is always greener behind the fence. (It’s good where we are not). Well, comparison is in a person’s genes. And whatever one may say, there are no comparisons.

Everything is known by comparison

Let's figure out how English people behave when they are compared.

Let's look at them in the table.

Degrees of comparison of adjectives

So, in the first column there is the original, “untouched” adjective (just “what”? - big), in the second - the comparative degree, “competition” (when we compare with something; what is in Russian in -e/ -ee, for example, “more”), and in the third column - the superlative degree, “winner” (the highest degree of any quality, for example, “the largest”).

"Pristine"
adjective
Comparative degree
"competition"
Superlative
"winner"
1 syllableBig (big)Bigg er(more)The bigg est(biggest)
LongLong er(longer)The long est(longest)
Thin (thin)Thinn er(thinner)The thinn est(the thinnest)
Ends with -yHappy (happy)Happ ier(happier)The happy iest(the happiest)
Lucky (lucky)Luck ier(luckier)The luck iest(luckiest)
2 or more syllablesInteresting (interesting)More interesting (more interesting)The most interesting (the most interesting)
Beautiful (beautiful)More beautiful (more beautiful)The most beautiful (the most beautiful)
ExceptionsGoodBetter(better)The best(the best)
Bad (bad)Worse(worse)The worst(worst)
Little (small, little)Less(less, less)The least(smallest, least)
Far (far, far away)Further(further)The furthest(farthest)

Rules for using comparative degrees

Monosyllabic adjectives

Let's start with the simplest, monosyllabic, very short adjectives.

Rule: When comparing, it will be added to them -er, but in a superlative degree (he is definitely a winner, the only one of his kind, that’s why definite article) And -est. Also, when comparing 2 objects, we always use the word “ than" - "than", although in Russian we often do without it.

For example:

  • Kate is tall er than Tina (Kate is taller than Tina/ Tina).
  • Albert is rich er than his brother. (Albert is richer than his brother/his brother)
  • It looks better. (It looks better)
  • He is the tall est in his family. (He is the tallest in the family)

Important! Pay attention to the words - since they consist of one syllable and end with one consonant, and before it there is one vowel, such a consonant is doubled in comparison and superiority - bigger, thinner, fitter, fatter, etc.

Adjectives ending in -y

Rule: If the adjective ends in -y(and it doesn’t matter in this case how many syllables it has), then comparison and superiority will be formed in the same way as short adjectives, only in writing -y will change to i.

For example:

  • You look happy ier, than before. (You look happier than before).
  • He is slopp ier than his sister. (He is messier than his sister).
  • It's the tack iest thing I've ever seen! (this is the most tasteless thing I've ever seen!)

If 2 or more syllables

Rule: If the adjectives are long (2 or more syllables), then adding anything else to them will simply be too much of a clutter for the laconic English. So they just add words to them more(“more”) - more interesting – in comparison and the most("most") - the most interesting - in excellence.

Important! Only if in Russian our freedom of language allows us to do this in different ways (for example, you can say “subtler”, or you can say “more subtle”), then in stricter English you cannot show such liberties.

For example:

  • Work is always more important for him. (Work is always more important to him)
  • This book is more useful than that one. (This book is more useful than that (book).
  • It's the most exciting sport! (This is the most exciting sport!)

No exceptions

Exceptions are very easy to remember - these are one of the most commonly used words, and they are always heard. And “good” and “bad” are exceptions in our language (“better”, “worse”).

  • Do your best! (Try to do your best/the best you can).
  • It's getting worse and worse… (It gets worse and worse).

I hope things are working out for you now with adjectives. better and better, I wish you always do your best, especially in learning English, be the happiest and the luckiest!

Watch our video lesson on the topic of comparative degrees of adjectives:

In general, teaching is such a colossal exchange of energy with students that at some point you fall into euphoria, from what you are doing and from the students, it’s cool when everyone is on the same wavelength.